Time to Think Again

Slightly over two years ago, I wrote this post on The Walkabout, about a most profound book. Aptly titled  Critical Thinking: Tools For Taking Charge Of Your Professional And Personal Life, the book is all about our thoughts, especially how they affect our development and ultimately, the quality of our lives. It then behooves us to channel and leverage our thinking such that we are in charge of our lives.

At the time, I even gave a few copies free to some of our readers.

This book is one of those you keep getting back to read, if only to refresh whatever you have so far gained from it. In this regard, it is worth noting that there is something new to gain every time I take another look at it's priceless insights.

You are What You Think
That's what the good people at CriticalThinking.org say in introducing this book.

Everything you do in life is determined by the quality of your thinking. If you aren't thinking clearly, you're at the mercy of everyone else-from dishonest politicians to aggressive, stop-at-nothing ad agencies. Unfortunately, many people never give any thought to how they think. No wonder they're susceptible to the frustration, pain, ineffectiveness, and financial loss that result directly from poorly considered thinking. Critical Thinking is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life-as a professional, as a consumer, citizen, friend, parent, and even as a lover.

Following is a snapshot of what you'll find inside this awesome book:

Acknowledgment Preface
Ch. 1:    Thinking in a World of Accelerating Change and Intensifying Danger
Ch. 2:    Becoming a Critic of Your Thinking
Ch. 3:    Becoming a Fair-Minded Thinker
Ch. 4:    Self-Understanding
Ch. 5:    The First Four Stages of Development: What Level Thinker are You?
Ch. 6:    The Parts of Thinking
Ch. 7:    The Standards for Thinking
Ch. 8:    Design Your Life
Ch. 9:    The Art of Making Intelligent Decisions
Ch. 10: Taking Charge of Your Irrational Tendencies
Ch. 11:  Monitoring Your Sociocentric Tendencies
Ch. 12:  Developing as an Ethical Reasoner
Ch. 13:  Analyzing and Evaluating Thinking in Corporate and Organizational Life
Ch. 14:  The Power and Limits of Professional Knowledge (And of the Disciplines that Underlie Them)
Ch. 15:  Strategic Thinking Part One
Ch. 16:  Strategic Thinking Part Two
Glossary: A Guide to Critical Thinking Terms and Concepts References

The Challenge
What kind of a thinker are you?
In writing Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life, Richard W. Paul and Linda Elder detail the six stages of thinking. These are:

• Stage 1 The Unreflective Thinker (we are unaware of significant problems in our thinking)
• Stage 2 The Challenged Thinker (we become aware of problems in our thinking)
• Stage 3 The Beginning Thinker (we try to improve, but without regular practice)
• Stage 4 The Practicing Thinker (we recognize the necessity of regular practice)
• Stage 5 The Advanced Thinker (we advance in accordance with our practice)
• Stage 6 The Master Thinker (skilled and insightful thinking becomes second nature)

I very strongly recommend that you get a copy of this book. "Why?" you ask. My answer: You are what you think. It is the quality of your thinking that determines all else.

Determination = Strong WILL + Stronger WON'T

On Tuesday this week, SavvyKenya [one of my favorite bloggers], shared some 17 Tips to boost one's productivity. Reading through the tips, I found the following tip quite interesting:

15. Keep a “Stop Doing List”.

Most of these lists usually contain things that one has to start doing, so I take notice the few times I come across something that one has to stop doing.
The aforementioned tip reminds me of Jim Collins's article about Resolutions. In this article, Jim Collins asserts that we no longer live disciplined lives, ours have instead become busy lives.
In such a situation, there is no time to pause and ask if whatever we are doing is indeed the right thing.

He therefore proposes that one come up with a stop doing list and make this the cornerstone of his/her New Year resolutions, be it for company, family or self.

For one to be able to stop doing something however, self control and restraint are paramount.
It all boils down to delaying gratification, with a view of doing the right thing, and thereby cultivating one's moral intelligence. We highlighted the same in an earlier post.



This is what Joachim de Posada was talking about in his famous 'Don't Eat the Marshmallow Yet' TED Talk above.

All in all, determination to me is more of a stronger WON'T than a strong WILL. It is harder to stop doing something one is already accustomed to than to embark on new things.
As I get ready to do a searching and fearless inventory of my life as I do every end month, I'll be keen to set aside those things I need to stop doing. I already have a list as we speak, only that a discussion of my personal life is beyond the scope of this blog and I cannot therefore share my list ;)
What about you? Anything you need to stop doing from now on?

Open Up and Face Your Fears

Today's post is an amalgamation of past posts on The Walkabout, which I feel will better convey my message today.

The Things We Don't Say
Exactly two weeks ago, I read this moving post by @JacqueNdinda. It made me both very sad and livid to no end, and I said as such.
The fact that sexual offences continue to happen to people around us is a pointer to bigger ills in our society. What I find especially  worrying about these types of crimes is that the victims are adversely affected for the rest of their lives.

Screw Fear
Back in April 2009, I wrote about the need to overcome fear and doubt in discovering our inner potential. What may not be apparent in that post is the undeniable fact that doing so is never easy.
Sometimes, the circumstances behind that fear may seemingly be out of control.

Yesterday, I visited Faith*. At one point during my stay, she confided that she was recently raped by someone known to her. The trauma has so far made her fearful of men, even those in her family.

I was so taken aback my the pain in her voice and written all over her face, largely because sexual abuse had prior to yesterday, never happened to someone I knew really well. It was always another girl, another lady, another elderly woman, another baby - but never a person close to me.

Cries From the Heart
In his book Cries from the Heart, Johann Christoph Arnold addresses those who struggle in their search for hope and meaning in life. Individual chapters focus on many of life's situations such as emotional suffering, despair, illness, remorse, unanswered prayers etc [see a chapter listing in our blog post].

While some seek understanding in the sciences, technology and varied belief systems, others search within. Still, others seek answers from the supernatural or from a higher power. All these are Cries from the Heart which have continued since time began.

Drained
The search for meaning can at times wear someone down, and the frustrations of elusive meaning and delayed solutions make him/her feel drained.
At this point, one wants more.

Thankfully, someone has written a book that features stories of people who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds and emerged victorious.


All in all, opening up provides a way to start facing and overcoming one's fears. And better still, when in the company of those who can help, and upon reading stories of others who struggled and eventually overcame, it becomes much easier to endure the pain, to have hope, to unrelentingly struggle, and to eventually make it on the other end - victorious.

*name changed to maintain her anonymity.

On Writing. A Memoir of the Craft

During my blogging hiatus, I took time to read a number of books. Ironic as this might sound, one of the books is actually about writing.

Stephen King is a world renown bestselling author, who has written dozens of books in the course of a writing career spanning decades. Many of his novels and short stories have been made into movies and mini TV series.

On Writing is a book that's essentially Stephen King's take on writing itself. He also tells the reader a bit about his early life, his writing career, culminating in the accident that nearly took his life. It is an invaluable book for anyone who seeks to become a writer.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Learn and Share

Late last year, a very inspiring tweep and fellow blogger handed me a copy of Jim Collin's bestseller Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and others Don't.

Owing to commitments and other hitherto scheduled reads, I gave the book to my dad, who has really liked reading it.

I have however started reading the book, and just flipping through the pages, I realize it has wonderful insights that apply both in business and in life.

Good to Great

What Others Say

This post isn't exactly a review of the book. You can read editorial reviews at Amazon.

A quick glance at the first chapter [titled Good is the Enemy of Great]:

Good is the enemy of Great.

And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.

We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.

The vast majority of companies never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good - and that is their main problem.

Worth Reading?

Yes. This is a book that will remind you that just being good isn't enough, and show you the way to being great.

You then get to do the needful to become great!

Searching for and Finding Meaning and Hope even in Life's Struggles

"The will to meaning is the basic motivation for human life." -

Viktor Frankl (Holocaust survivor)

A Better Understanding

Seeking meaning and purpose is perhaps the singular reason that human beings progress. This is what makes life worth living, as we seek a deeper understanding of ourselves and life, despite its attendant complexities.

Even in the face of suffering, humanity is still defined by a will that is largely predicated on this very search for wisdom, purpose and direction.

Cries from the Heart

As we encounter many things in life, we still keep believing that there are answers to many of life's questions. At times, we get drained and want more while on this search. But we still continue to believe.

While some seek understanding in the sciences, technology and varied belief systems, others search within. Still, others seek answers from the supernatural or from a higher power. All these are Cries from the Heart which have continued since time began.

Stories of Struggle and Hope

Human struggle is as ubiquitous as the air we breath. It is indeed true that life is not a bed of roses. And even when we insist on looking and focusing on the roses amongst thorns, we cannot wish away the thorns which keep pricking our sides, we still have to attend to various pertinent issues in our lives.

Cries from the Heart is a book written by Johanne Christoph Arnold. He is a counsellor and pastor who has served over twenty five years. He has written several other books, many of which you can get on his website.

Book Contents

CONTENTS

to the reader 7

foreword 9

1. searching – God finds an atheist 11

2. finding – is someone really there? 18

3. believing – even when children die? 24

4. universality – call it what you will 31

5. god’s messengers – angels at work 38

6. emotional suffering – when you can’t pray 45

7. illness – where the doctor leaves off 54

8. despair – talking to a wall 69

9. attitude – thank God I’m not like that! 83

10. reverence – meet your maker 95

11. letting go – my will be done 105

12. remorse – when you’ve messed up 114

13. protection – alive to tell it 126

14. selflessness – someone needs you 134

15. service – words are not enough 140

16. contemplation – be quiet and listen 149

17. worship – giving thanks in a death camp 160

18. unity – divided we fall 166

19. marriage – unlocking horns 171

20. unanswered prayer – isn’t “no” an answer? 179

21. miracles – what do you expect? 186

22. prayer in daily life – keeping the faith 199

23. faithfulness – one thing never changes 207

Get the FREE eBook

Let me know if you'd like me to Email you this eBook. You can however download it directly at ChristophArnold.com.

I hope you'll like it and find it worth your while. Be sure to share with others too.

Happy reading!

Human Becoming - Practical Steps to Self-Respect and CompassionateRelationships [Get the FREE eBook]

“Once awareness is free,
intent will redirect it into a new evolutionary path.”
- Carlos Castaneda

Well, I have always believed in Learning and Sharing. Because only then can we individually and collectively become better persons, by positively affecting the lives of those we interact with.

That said, I recently downloaded a very profound eBook by one Dr. David Richo [no relations].

The book is titled "Human Becoming. Practical Steps to Self-Respect and Compassionate Relationships" It is in fact a collection of excerpts from his many books and manuscripts.

Dr Richo introduces the book this way:

"We are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love."
– William Blake

It is my considered opinion that you'll find this book worthwhile.
After reading the Introduction, I am so looking forward to reading the rest of the book.

Following is an excerpt of the Introduction:

FIRST THINGS FIRST

"There is a grace-full force in us and in the universe. It is a lively energy that is always at work so that we will become fully human. To be fully human is to be as loving as we can be, as free of ego fear and clinging, and as generous as we can be with our innate gifts and talents. This takes psychological work on ourselves and a spiritual practice. When we are committed to such a program, we feel joy and self-respect because we are fulfilling our deepest purpose in life."

PRACTICAL STEPS

"Practical steps are about doing things in new ways. But doing is not the whole picture. We are also receiving graces that assist us. We become fully human not by our efforts alone but also by the assistance of a higher power than our ego that complements our psychological work and our spiritual practice. Abundant grace is surrounding us right now and can be trusted to help us cross our next bridge or threshold."

The chapters are as follows:

Who we really are
Our personal purpose and calling
In the house of the healthy psyche
Dialoguing with the inner critic
Building self-respect and lovingkindness
The givens of life: the things we cannot change
The f.a.c.e. of ego
Befriending our shadow
How to s.e.e.
The cradling technique
Freedom from fears: an inventory and affirmations
Working with abandonment and engulfment fears
Handling our loneliness
Standing alone at the edge of the void
A checklist on boundaries in relationship
Conflict vs. drama
Anger or abuse?
No more punishing or placating
Releasing guilt and forgiveness
When our feelings are hurt
Love and control
Pausing to find our space
Mindfulness
Love as a practice
Lovingkindness
Egoless love
Fate or destiny?
Wholeness within
Unconditional love
Conclusion: What makes us human

Get the eBook

If you'd like a free copy of this eBook, download it from David Richo's web site.
It's in PDF format [684KB], 98 pages.

I bet many of you will find this is a most valuable book, now that Valentines Day is just around the corner.

The Laws of Simplicity

Less is More

Simplicity is a vital aspect of life that is often overlooked. Many believe that complex means more, and therefore better. The truth is quite to the contrary.

In design, simplicity is a key component of a rich user experience and robust function. This has been further explored at Complit Design. Less is more in design, and therefore better.

A Simple Life. A Life most Uncommon

The complexities of daily living make it hard for us to imagine living a simple life. There's simply so much to consider, so much to attend to and so much that is expected of us.

With all this in mind, we seldom have time to even notice and appreciate the simple things in life that matter the most.

The Laws of Simplicity

[caption id="attachment_461" align="aligncenter" width="201" caption="The Laws of Simplicity by John Maeda"][/caption]



John Maeda is a renowned graphic designer, artist and computer scientist at the MIT Media Lab.

He also co-directs the radical SIMPLICITY initiative which seeks to re-examine ways of breaking free from the complexity of today's technology and redefine the way users relate to the technology in their daily lives.

He wrote The Laws of Simplicity in 2005/6. The book details the following 10 Laws:

1. REDUCE
   The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.


2. ORGANIZE
   Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.


3. TIME
   Savings in time feel like simplicity.


4. LEARN
   Knowledge makes everything simpler.


5. DIFFERENCES
   Simplicity and complexity need each other.


6. CONTEXT
   What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.


7. EMOTION
   More emotions are better than less.


8. TRUST
   In simplicity we trust.


9. FAILURE
   Some things can never be made simple.


10. THE ONE
    Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

You can read about the 10 laws at the Laws of Simplicity web site.

Read The Book

Having looked at the excerpt and watched John Maeda's TED Talk about the simple life, The Laws of Simplicity is a book worth reading.

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

It is bound to remind you some simple truths that can positively affect both your personal and professional life.

Critical Thinking: Tools For Taking Charge Of Your Professional AndPersonal Life

Critical Thinking is a vital part of development and cognition. Every action is predicated on one's thought process, it's therefore imperative that the thinking itself be healthy and forward-looking.

Critical Thinking: Tools For Taking Charge Of Your Professional And Personal Life, was published in 2002 by the Financial Times Prentice Hall. It's written by Richard Paul and Linda Elder.

At CriticalThinking.org, this book is introduced thus:

You are what you think…
Everything you do in life is determined by the quality of your thinking. If you aren't thinking clearly, you're at the mercy of everyone else-from dishonest politicians to aggressive, stop-at-nothing ad agencies. Unfortunately, many people never give any thought to how they think. No wonder they're susceptible to the frustration, pain, ineffectiveness, and financial loss that result directly from poorly considered thinking. Critical Thinking is about becoming a better thinker in every aspect of your life-as a professional, as a consumer, citizen, friend, parent, and even as a lover.

This book explores the six stages of thinking, and challenges readers to find out what kind of thinker they are. These are:

• Stage 1 The Unreflective Thinker (we are unaware of significant problems in our thinking)
• Stage 2 The Challenged Thinker (we become aware of problems in our thinking)
• Stage 3 The Beginning Thinker (we try to improve, but without regular practice)
• Stage 4 The Practicing Thinker (we recognize the necessity of regular practice)
• Stage 5 The Advanced Thinker (we advance in accordance with our practice)
• Stage 6 The Master Thinker (skilled and insightful thinking becomes second nature)

CONTENTS

Acknowledgment Preface
Ch. 1:    Thinking in a World of Accelerating Change and Intensifying Danger
Ch. 2:    Becoming a Critic of Your Thinking
Ch. 3:    Becoming a Fair-Minded Thinker
Ch. 4:    Self-Understanding
Ch. 5:    The First Four Stages of Development: What Level Thinker are You?
Ch. 6:    The Parts of Thinking
Ch. 7:    The Standards for Thinking
Ch. 8:    Design Your Life
Ch. 9:    The Art of Making Intelligent Decisions
Ch. 10: Taking Charge of Your Irrational Tendencies
Ch. 11:  Monitoring Your Sociocentric Tendencies
Ch. 12:  Developing as an Ethical Reasoner
Ch. 13:  Analyzing and Evaluating Thinking in Corporate and Organizational Life
Ch. 14:  The Power and Limits of Professional Knowledge (And of the Disciplines that Underlie Them)
Ch. 15:  Strategic Thinking Part One
Ch. 16:  Strategic Thinking Part Two
Glossary: A Guide to Critical Thinking Terms and Concepts References

This book is high recommended for anyone who wishes to become better in both their personal and professional lives. It helps you exercise more informed and effective thinking. This will definitely improve your life.

Get Your FREE Copy 
If you need a copy of this book in PDF format, just Email me [info<at>peternjenga<dot>com] and I'll Email you one.

Learn, share and think more critically.

Strategies for a Stress-free Life by G. Gaynor McTigue

Stress-Free Living

This weekend, I came across a preview of this seemingly good book.

It is titled 'Why Make Yourself Crazy: 400 Strategies for a Stress-free Life' by by G. Gaynor McTigue, the author of 'Life's Little Frustration Book'.

Book Highlights

1. Do One thing at a time

2. Throw something out every day

3. Cut down on competitive stress

4. Eliminate excessive and superfluous activities

5. Put affection back into your relationship

6. Never be embarrassed at having to scale back

7. One sport per child per season

8. Don't let Unhealthy job stress persist

9. Avoid eating as a response to stress

10. Don't fall victiom to a chronic talker

Online Resources

Read the preview online on Scribd. Or download a free book preview (PDF 1.03MB).

Learn, share and have a stress-free life.

What Do You Want to do With Your Life? by Hans Glint

Recently, I downloaded 'What Do You Want To Do With Your Life?' by Hans Glint.
This eBook is supposedly a "Life Plan to find Your Answer".

In the Preface:

“Why do they always tell us that it’s easy and evil to do what we want, and that we need discipline to restrain ourselves? It’s the hardest thing in the world - to do what we want. And it takes the greatest kind of courage. I mean, what we really want.”
- Ayn Rand

Many people spend more time planning their summer holiday than planning the rest of their life. No wonder the same people feel they do not live fulfilled lives. However, you are different. You are on your way to break away from the crowd; you are on your way to plan ahead and achieve the life of your dreams.

With imagination and action, you will create the life of your dreams.

Chapters:

1. Introduction to Life Planning
2. Your Past
3. The Influence Of Generations
4. Your Present
5. Your Future
6. Your Alternatives
7. Making The Decision

Download Free eBook

You can download the eBook free at the book official site (PDF 606KB).

Let us learn, share and have a purpose -driven, planned life.

Screw It. Let's Do It: Lessons in Life and Business by Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson
Besides Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs, Richard Branson is one of those individuals I hold in very high regard. The Virgin Group Chairman is a maverick, a legend and a genius. His avant-garde way of doing things is world-renown, and it has won him as much respect as it has put him in personal danger.

Watching Richard Branson at TED, you realize he is one of those people who had humble beginnings, but rose to prominence through hard work, determination and discipline. His self belief has propelled him in life, in business and in those dare-devil stunts he keeps pulling.

Richard Branson has a penchant for unconventional things. He is a natural round peg in a square hole. For instance, his book titles viz: 'Losing My Virginity', 'Business Stripped Bare' and 'Screw It. Let's Do It' further enhance his boldness in daring to think and be different.

Screw It. Let's Do It.
This is an easy to read book that simply offers lessons in life and in business.  It has received favorable reviews at Amazon and elsewhere. Following is a sample review:

It's quick, it's easy, it's not preachy, it's positive. It's packed full of good advice and examples from Richard Branson's own life. He calls them his "lessons in life". He also says, "A journey of a thousand miles starts with that first step" -- and he's right.
Reading this book, by the friendly genius that the media has dubbed a maverick in paradise, could be that first step to a positive and fulfilling life and perhaps a wealthy one. He says he can't tell people how to get rich fast and he doesn't have any secrets to success; all he has is "truths" and examples that worked for him and could work for you.
Making money isn't his first goal -- having fun and doing good are. But he says if you have fun, then the money will come -- and explains why he says it. Every chapter is filled with his philosophy, spelled out in a simple and direct way. Chapter headings like "Just Do It!" "Be Bold"; "Have Fun!"; "Challenge Yourself"; "Value Family and Friends" are useful guides for everyone to follow.
It's a great little book to read at odd moments. I read it all the way through in less than an hour, and instantly felt driven and motivated to get cracking with that project I've been putting off.
Everyone should read this book and every teenager should be given a copy. It could be resonsible for turning things around and producing a society of motivated go-getters.

Read another comprehensive review at the Financial Inspiration Cafe.

Book Highlights
Following are the chapter titles and key highlights in the book:

1. Just Do It

• Believe it can be done


• Have Goals


• Live life to the full


• Never Give Up


• Prepare Well


• Have Faith in Yourself


• Help Each other

2. Have Fun

• Have fun, work hard and money will come


• Don't waste time - grab your chances


• Have a positive outlook on life


• When it's not fun, move on

3. Be Bold

• Calculate the risks and take them


• Believe in yourself


• Chase your dreams and goals


• Have no regrets


• Be bold


• Keep your word

4. Challenge yourself

• Aim high


• Try new things


• Always try


• Challenge yourself

5. Stand on your own feet

• Rely on yourself


• Chase your dreams, but live in the real world


• Work Together

6. Live the Moment

• Love life and live it to the full


• Enjoy the moment


• Reflect on your life


• Make every second count


• Don't have Regrets

7. Value Family and Friends

• Put the family and the team first


• Be loyal


• Face problems head on


• Money is for making things happen


• Pick the right people and reward talent

8. Have Respect

• Be polite and Respectful


• Do the Right thing


• Keep your good name


• Be fair in all your dealings

9. Do some good

• Change the world, even if in a small way


• Make a difference and help others


• Do no harm


• Always think of what you can do to help

Bottom Line
This book is highly recommended. I have started reading it, and like both the content therein and its presentation.

In the epilogue, Richard Branson sums up by saying the following:

I have always lived my life by thriving on chances and adventure. The motive that drives me has always been to set myself challenges and try to achieve them. Every lesson I have learned has been as a direct result of these tests.

In closing, the book simply reverts to its title - the fact that it all boils down to doing.

All the things in this book are my lessons and my goals in life, the things I believe in. But they are not unique to me. Everyone needs to keep learning. Everyone needs goals. Each and every one of my lessons can be applied to all of us. Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it. Go ahead. Take that first step - just do it.

That's it people. Richard Branson has said it all, and said it really well.

Let us learn, share and actually get to do the needful. Screw It. Let's Do It!

The Optimist: One Man's Search for the Brighter Side of Life by Laurence Shorter

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best,
night and day, to make you everybody else
means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight;
and never stop fighting."
- E. E. Cummings

Last week, I started reading The Optimist by Laurence Shorter.

This is the story of a man who has decided to seek the brighter side of life. That is definitely a hard thing to do, in a world that is largely paranoid, is obsessed with negative happenings, all manner of premonitions and has an affinity for evil and wrong doing.

I particularly like the following from the book's Preface:

"Up until now the bad news had left me unscathed. I was an optimist, and I was proud of my ability to ignore events and carry on as if everything were fine. That was the privilege of optimism. Deep down, if you’re an optimist, you know that everything is going to be OK.
You don’t know why – you just know. It’s like your little secret."

This is how The Optimist has been introduced in many places:

Laurence Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he turns on the radio or opens a newspaper he finds another reason to be tearful.
It's time to make a change. Can Desmond Tutu bring a smile to Laurence's face? Will he ride out the tide of pessimism with California's famous Surfing Rabbi? Or will it fall to the ultimate icon of optimism, Bill Clinton, to show Laurence the brighter side of life?

At Amazon, the following are presented as the most favorable and most helpful reviews, respectively:

"Over time, in general, things turn out for the best - that's the historical lesson anyway. And I think that a lot of us experience that in our own lives too: We end up with the right person, or we end up happily alone for the right reasons. We find the occupation that interests us, or are glad that we quit our job. We realise that we are happier now than we used to."

"The real strength of this book is in the many short interviews and meetings Shorter has with famous and non-famous people around the world. The different views on what constitutes optimism and what makes people tick is fascinating. Some of the views are genuinely thought provoking and inspiring."

You can read more reviews of The Optimist at Amazon here.

I personally find it an interesting read. I bet you'll find it worth your while.

Download a FREE copy of The Optimist by Laurence Shorter (PDF 847KB).

Let us learn, share and purpose to live on the brighter and positive side of life.

Paulo Coelho's 'The Zahir': A Novel of Love, Longing and Obsession

Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is the man who wrote such books as The Alchemist, The Way of the Bow and Stories for Parents, Children and Grandchildren. Other books are The Pilgrimage and Eleven Minutes.

Coelho's books all tend to feature some sort of spiritual quest, written in accessibly pared-down language which leads the reader inexorably towards a thumping great moral climax.

The Zahir has been described as a novel of Love, Longing and Obsession.

Synopsis

The Zahir centers on the narrator's search for his missing wife, Esther, a journalist who fled Iraq in the runup to the present war, only to disappear from Paris; the narrator, a writer, is freed from suspicion when his lover, Marie, comes forward with a (true) alibi. He seeks out Mikhail, the man who may be Esther's most recent lover and with whom she was last seen, who has abandoned his native Kazakhstan for a kind of speaking tour on love. Mikhail introduces the narrator to a global underground "tribe" of spiritual seekers who resist, somewhat vaguely, conventional ways of living. . . [read more Amazon reviews]

Zahir

Zahir, in Arabic means visibility, present, incapable of going unnoticed. It is someone or something which, once we have come into contact with them, gradually occupies our every thought, until we can think of nothing else.

A Book Worth Reading

I find this book very applicable in many of life's situations. Earlier today, an axtract from this book was the basis of an interesting note on Facebook, titled From who you WERE to who you ARE: Letting Go, Cleaning the House and Moving on.


Following is the extract:

...there are always some stories that are 'interrupted,' and they are the stories that remain nearest to the surface and so still occupy the present; only when we close that story or chapter can we begin the next one...

That is why it is so important to let certain things go. To release them. To cut loose.
People need to understand that no one is playing with marked cards; sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.

Don't expect to get anything back, don't expect recognition for your efforts, don't expect your genius to be discovered or your love to be understood. Complete the circle. Not out of pride, inability, or arrogance, but simply because whatever it is no longer fits in your life.

Close the door, change the record, clean the house, get rid of the dust. Stop being who you were and become who you are.

Recommendation

If you can, take time and read Paulo Coelho's The Zahir. It is my hope that you find this book worth your while.

Get your copy The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession (P.S.) by Paulo Coelho.

Let us learn, share and continue to affect others positively.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt

Two days ago, I watched (yet again), Jonathan Haidt's TED Talk about the moral roots of, and the real differences between liberals and conservatives. This talk touched on Ideology and Openness to experience, among other things...

After the very informative talk, I sought to find out more about Jonathan Haidt, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.

The Happiness Hypothesis

It was then that I came upon his book 'The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom.'

[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt"][/caption]

At the Happiness Hypothesis web site, this book is introduced as "a book about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world’s civilizations - to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives. It is a book about how to construct a life of virtue, happiness, fulfillment, and meaning."

The book is divided into five major topics:

• How the mind works


• Social Life


• Happiness


• Flourishing


• Meaning

10 Great Ideas

Each topic is then subdivided into a few key topics or great ideas. Following are the 10 Great Ideas:

1. The Divided Self: Small Rider, Large Elephant


2. Changing Your Mind


3. Reciprocity with a Vengeance


4. The Faults of Others”


5. The Pursuit of Happiness


6. Love and Attachments


7. The Uses of Adversity


8. The Felicity of Virtue


9. Divinity with or without God


10. Happiness Comes from Between

What you will learn:

• How humans make decisions


• Why change is so hard


• What elements shape human happiness


• What techniques you can use to increase how happy you feel

Read all the chapter summaries and download (FREE) the Introduction, chapters 1, 4, 6 and 8 here.

Recommendation:

Bits of wisdom constantly fly at us. Perhaps, that is why we may only rarely stop to savor a great idea and make it our own. In the Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt provides a remedy to modern habits of superficial thinking, by demonstrating that the questions of the ages are still worth kicking around.

This book is recommended to those who want to know why change is so difficult and happiness so elusive. It will give you plenty to think about and possibly change your life. At the least, it will point you in a positive direction.

You can download an Abstract of The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt here (PDF 83KB).

Let us learn, share and grow.

Drained: Stories of People Who Wanted More

"Words are things,
and a small drop of ink
Falling like dew upon a thought
Produces that which makes thousands,
Perhaps millions, think."
- LORD BYRON

Free Awareness

Carlos Castaneda, a renowned American anthropologist said that "once awareness is free, intent will redirect it to new revolutionary paths". That is what Peter's Walkabout is predicated on, the fact that a closer look at life invariably reveals the bigger picture...

Books have a way of making us take that look. Good books take us to places we never dreamt possible, make us see ourselves in a totally new and different light. These are books worth reading. These are books worth sharing.

Every once in a while, Peter's Walkabout will highlight such a book, and provide a download link wherever possible.

Drained: Stories of People Who Wanted More

This book by Johanne Christoph Arnold is a collection of stories about people who faced seemingly insurmountable odds and emerged victorious.

All this was possible thanks to a longing deep within each one of us, that seeks to realize the best in us and to always make things better.

This book is NOT a cure-all remedy to life's problems, all it offers are stepping stones to a fulfilled life.

Get your copy of  Drained: Stories of People Who Wanted More here.

Let's learn, share and advance.